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04/20/2016 Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 20, 2016 City of Clearwater City Hall 112 S. Osceola Avenue Clearwater, FL 33756 r Meeting Minutes Wednesday, April 20, 2016 4:00 PM Council Chambers Environmental Advisory Board Page 1 City of Clearwater Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 20, 2016 Roll Call Present 5 - Vice Chair Lynn Sumerson, Board Member Michael Engelmann, Board Member Lindsay Collins, Board Member Leann DuPont, and Board Member Jared Leone Also Present - Laura Mahony—Assistant City Attorney, Ed Chesney — Environmental Manager, Patricia O. Sullivan — Board Reporter 1. Call To Order The Vice Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. at City Hall. 2. Approval of Minutes 2.1 Approval of January 20, 2016 Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes Member Engelmann moved to approve minutes of the January 20, 2016 Environmental Advisory Board meeting as submitted in written summation. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 3. Citizens to be Heard Regarding Items Not on the Agenda Alan Brand said he was a design engineer. He said he gave instructional talks on solar power and requested to speak on the subject at a future EAB (Environmental Advisory Board) meeting. Linda Varonich supported Mr. Brand's presentation. She said the grassroots'supported solar power referendum question will appear on the August primary ballot and the utilities'supported solar power referendum question will appear on the November presidential ballot. Kim Ross said work was underway to educate voters re solar referendums. Linda Lanza said the City Council had a discussion on the ULI (Urban Land Institute) report and suggested the EAB schedule a presentation on Coachman Park plans. 4. New Business Items 4.1 Overview of Clearwater's Tree Ordinance - Matt Anderson Land Resource Specialist Matt Anderson said he was responsible for trees on private property, the Parks & Recreation Department managed trees on rights-of-way and City properties. The Code included the Florida Exotic Plant Pest Council list of trees, these trees were not Page 2 City of Clearwater Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 20, 2016 distributed on Arbor Day and did not meet landscaping requirements. Five Code sections addressed trees. He reviewed the tree preservation plan's grading system and requirements for tree inventories. Mr. Anderson discussed procedures for residents to obtain permits and remove trees. Tree replacement requirements were based on the grading system. Some redevelopments and major renovations were required to plant shade trees. Three people spoke on concerns re tree removal at a mobile home park, trees at Cooper's Point, and actions by tree service and insurance companies. Mr. Anderson said all City departments adhered to Code requirements for trees. The City and State did not issue licenses for tree service companies. Staff provided written opinions when they disagreed with homeowners'insurance company pruning instructions. 4.2 Proposed Grease Ordinance - Rob Powers, Public Utilities Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator Rob Powers presented a draft grease ordinance to enforce the Clean Water Act, prevent grease from entering the wastewater system and causing backups, and update Code to meet current plumbing technology and building requirements. The Ordinance would regulate food preparation facilities and require grease trap maintenance. Legal staff was reviewing the ordinance, a companion to County regulations, for presentation to the City Council in August. Discussion ensued with comments the County usually required monthly pump-outs and a suggestion that the City provide businesses an incentive to dispose of grease legally. It was indicated that education was the key, many business owners were unaware that late shift employees dumped grease illegally and many employees did not know the law. It was stated some grease traps were difficult to access and required highly trained people to work them properly. Environmental Manager Ed Chesney said Stormwater staff monitored areas behind strip malls with evidence of illegal grease disposal near bodies of water. The final draft of the ordinance will be presented to the EAB in July. One citizen complimented City efforts and one citizen suggested the EAB recommend using BP funds to enforce the ordinance. Page 3 City of Clearwater Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 20, 2016 4.3 Moccasin Lake Park, an eco-tourism destination? Six citizens spoke about the Moccasin Lake Nature Park Master Plan, its development, ongoing stakeholder meetings, special and improved features of the park, including its recent inclusion on the Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail, user groups and outreach programs, benefits of a daily onsite summer camp, volunteer training, efforts, donations, and accomplishments, such as opening the park on Sundays, the need for the City to increase its support of the park, and qualities that made the park attractive for eco-tourism, a $5 billion industry that would be an economic generator for the City, Administrative Support Manager Felicia Donnelly said all City summer camps had an environmental component that included a visit to Moccasin Lake Nature Park. Environmental specialty programs close to the park competed for campers and there was insufficient interest to sustain an environmental camp at the park. While the City ran other successful camps, staff costs were too high to continue running an extended hour camp at Moccasin Lake. The City actively sought a qualified vendor to run a program at the park, but the vendor, which also ran camps at Boyd Hill and Booker Creek, was unsuccessful. Discussion ensued. It was recommended that the next RFP (Request for Proposals) for a camp vendor have stakeholder input and define operating hours. Concern was expressed that the City's camp program at Moccasin Lake Nature Park was very successful until it was turned over to the vendor which hiked prices and reduced hours. It was stated the cities of Largo and Dunedin ran successful summer camps without contractors. The Moccasin Lake Nature Park volunteers were thanked for their efforts. It was recommended that steps be taken to prevent ecotourism from damaging the park's environment. 4.4 Elect Chair and Vice Chair. Member Engelmann moved to appoint Leann DuPont as Chair. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. Member DuPont moved to reappoint Lynn Sumerson as Vice Chair. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 5. Old Business Item Page 4 City of Clearwater Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 20, 2016 5.1 EAB letter from Mike Flanery, P.E. - SB 318 Fracking Mr. Chesney said after SB 318 failed, Mike Flanery wrote a second letter to the EAB opposing fracking. The proposal for a City resolution opposing fracking was submitted too late to be included with agenda materials. Eight residents spoke in opposition to fracking in Florida, stating the practice would: 1), inject chemicals, many carcinogenic, deep underground, contaminating the City's groundwater treatment project and State's fragile aquifer with unknown chemicals and untreatable fracking wastewater, 2) use significant quantities of limited water resources; 3) be subject to spills, and 4) cause health problems. Concerns were expressed that natural gas was a heavy emission industry and energy industry lobbyists were actively promoting exploration of the Everglades and Big Cypress Preserve for oil and natural gas reserves, fracking occurred outside Naples in 2013. Support was expressed for clean renewable energy solutions and home rule status. A draft resolution modeled after other municipal legislation was presented. It was recommended the City join 80 other Florida cities and counties and adopt the resolution to ban fracking and fracking wastewater in the City of Clearwater. Assistant City Attorney Laura Mahoney said the EAB could make recommendations, only the City Council could pass Resolutions. Discussion ensued. Concerns were expressed that bills presented during the last legislative session would have nullified municipal resolutions outlawing fracking and fracking companies would not prove their methods were safe by identifying chemicals they used. It was stated that fracking wastewater with known carcinogens that caused birth defects had leaked into the Delaware River and Clearwater residents did not need to be similarly endangered. It was commented that fracking poisoned drinking water and benzene, used for fracking, was unsafe to drink or breathe. It was felt if enough Florida cities passed anti fracking resolutions, the State legislature would be pressured to stop pursuing fracking. In response to a recommendation to delay board action until newly presented materials could be reviewed, it was stated materials presented today provided legal information but scientific studies determining the dangers associated with known fracking chemicals had not changed. Member Collins moved to recommend the City Council adopt a resolution banning fracking in Clearwater. The motion was duly seconded. Members Engelmann, Collins, and Leone, and Vice Chair Sumerson voted "Aye"; Member DuPont voted "Nay." Motion carried. Page 5 City of Clearwater Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 20, 2016 5.2 Environmental Lands Acquisition - Clearwater Christian College Mr. Chesney said the City Council was scheduled to approve a contract to purchase approximately 100 acres of environmental lands around the former Clearwater Christian College. A master plan will be developed to restore the environment and improve water quality. In response to a question, he said FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) controlled the Courtney Campbell Causeway. It was recommended the City maintain its partnership with the Audubon society to save the eagles on Coopers Point and continue the organization's work at Moccasin Lake Nature Park. Support was expressed for the Master Plan to include environmental protections and limit public access to Coopers Point. 5.3 ULI Updates - North Marina Master Plan / Downtown Boating Plan Mr. Chesney said the City was allocating funds for Seminole Boat Dock projects being drawn up by a consultant. 6. Director's Report 6.1 Agenda Topics for July 20, 2016 EAB Meeting Solar panel presentation by Alan Brand Update re proposed grease ordinance It was requested that Board members forward their agenda topic suggestions to Mr. Chesney by July 1, 2016. 7. Adjourn The meeting adjourned at 6:03 p.m. Chair Environmental Advisory Board Page 6 City of Clearwater